


Delicate in every way but one

by SuburbanWarrior



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Bottom Louis, Louis in Panties, Louis is the master of panties, Louis wears a pink lace THONG, M/M, So many panties, Top Harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-06
Updated: 2014-05-06
Packaged: 2018-01-23 20:14:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1578068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuburbanWarrior/pseuds/SuburbanWarrior
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“But, hey, I’m Harry, nice to meet you,” he extended his hand toward Louis. “I can help you get set up with what you need.”<br/>“Why,” Louis raises an eyebrow pointedly, “would I let you- who I have been calling asshole boy for the past day and a half in my head- help me out with buying a gun?”<br/>“Because,” Harry smirks. “I can handle a gun really well.”<br/>“So?”<br/>“That’s not the only thing I handle well.”<br/>Louis blushes and wills his pants not to get tight. “I’m Louis,” he offers, and reaches out to shake Harry’s hand.<br/>He lets Harry help him with the gun.</p><p>[A Hunting AU where Louis wears pretty panties and Harry works in a hunting store.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Delicate in every way but one

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger warning for: mild descriptions of bullying and some use of anti-gay slurs.  
> This is a hunting!AU. Harry and Louis both kill animals in the fic, and there is mentioning of other animals being killed for show. I promise there is not graphic descriptions though. 
> 
> If any of the above triggers you, please take care of yourself above all things and DON'T READ ON. I understand how upsetting some of that can be to people, and while I never intended any of my words to hurt someone (as everything is a work of fiction), if you feel you might be triggered stop reading now!
> 
> Title from Lorde's Glory and Gore
> 
> Finally, thank you in advance for reading and please check me out on tumblr!! the-suburban-warrior.tumblr.com and/or feel free to listen to this mix: http://8tracks.com/suburban_warrior/delicate-in-every-way-but-one while reading!

Louis ends up underneath a bear on the first day of hunting season. The animal crashed into him, pushing him to the ground. Luckily for Louis, this animal had been long dead, standing stuffed and proud at the entrance to _Horan’s Hunting Store._

“Motherfuck,” he curses, struggling to push the animal off of him. “Can someone please- ugh-please- get this fucking thing off of me?”

With a rush of wind and a soft, _oof_ , the bear is lifted off of him. For a second Louis is convinced he was just crushed to death by a giant stuffed animal because he definitely in heaven, staring straight at the face of an angel. The boy staring down at him had moss green eyes and perfectly crafted curls that Louis could easily imagine plastered to his forehead as he grunted and pushed himself into Louis’ pliant body. So, yeah, Louis was ~~probably~~ definitely in heaven.

Of course, the only thing that comes out of Louis’ mouth is an eloquent “oops” that brought an even larger grin to the angels face, dimples popping out adorably.

“Hi,” The angel says in an impossibly deep voice. “Are you okay?” Attractive and caring. Yes, that confirmed it, Louis was definitely in heaven. “Roger over here,” he motions to the bear that had since been returned to its upright position beside the door, “has never really attacked someone, you see, because he can’t really move. So I’m not really sure what the protocol here is.” The angel offers Louis a hand, easily pulling him up beside the bear.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just didn’t see him there, ya know.”

The angel raises an eyebrow; “you didn’t see a 6 foot grizzly bear in plain sight? And you walked directly into it? And you’re planning to go hunting? In the woods, with, you know, live animals that will do more than just land on top of you like a sack of potatoes?”

Louis crosses his arms. “Excuse you. First of all, I’ll have you know that my hunting skills are amazing. And second, how did you even know I was coming in here for hunting supplies? I could just be in here to get fox piss for the hell of it? How do you know, maybe I wear it as fucking cologne.”

The angel leans in towards Louis, their noses practically touching. All Louis would have to do was lean a little closer, turn his head to the right a _smidge more and-_

The angel took a deep breath in and sniffs him.

 “What the fuck, mate?” Louis snaps. “You can’t go around fucking sniffing people. That’s probably illegal in this country or sommit?”

“You don’t wear fox piss as cologne,” the angel smirks. “On the contrary, you smell quite delicious, and nothing at all like fox piss, actually.”

Louis could feel the flush that lit up his cheeks and snaked its way down the back of his neck, painting his upper body a pretty pink colour. He takes a deep breath to calm himself, so he doesn’t do something irrationally stupid, like beg this angel of a boy to suck his cock. “Okay, so I don’t actually wear fox piss as a cologne,” he admits. “And I am in dire need of a new hunting rifle. As in, I’ve never had one before.”

“You don’t have a rifle, but you are an ‘amazing hunter?’” the boy questions, looking fucking adorable even while making frustratingly sarcastic exaggerated air quotes.

“It’s a natural talent, everyone in my family hunts. It’s assumed that I am amazing at it, even though I’ve never tried it. It’s in my blood.”

The angel lets out a full-blown laugh. “Mate, that is the absolute most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.” 

“Do you terrorize all costumers? Even those who had the unfortunate experience of a giant bear falling on top of them as they were trying to enter the store?”

“No, I just terrorize the newbie’s.”

“I am not a newbie,” Louis cries. “I have the blood of a skilled hunter running through me. This place is shit anyway, I’ll go somewhere else.” With that, he spins on his heels and walks out the door.

He doesn’t miss the way the angel starred at his arse as he departs.

\--

Louis had always liked pretty things. As the first born, and a male, his family was expecting him to carry on the family tradition of being one of the most skilled hunters in the country. His father’s hunting skills had warranted the millions of awards that decorated their mantel, and for that matter, the rest of the house. Louis should have been begging for a rifle and camouflage pants since he knew how to talk. But on his third birthday, he promptly threw down all the toy rifles that had been gifted to him and asked for pretty skirts, “like Minnie Mouse wears!”

His mother had sobbed and his father had cursed, but eventually they’d gotten used to the idea. His younger sister Lottie had quickly taken over as the hunter of the family. Every weekend since she became of age, Louis would watch in silence as his sister and his father geared up, loaded up the pickup truck and sped away into the woods. 

So Louis had always been different. Terrorized in school for failing to uphold his family’s legacy, and being a “fucking faggot,” he was quickly the brunt of jokes and the target for bullies. It wasn’t unusual for Louis to come home with bruises and a bloody eye. That was, until Lottie became old enough to attend school with him and threatened to shoot a hunting rifle point blank at anyone who dared to say anything to Louis ever again.

It was embarrassing as fuck, being defended by his _younger sister._ But it was more embarrassing to explain the cuts and bruises to his father. Though he never voiced anything but unconditional support, Louis could see the unspoken disappointment in his eyes. That his eldest son, the child that should’ve been his pride and joy, and he ended up being a fucking failure, nothing other than a wimpy queer.

Louis cries himself to sleep more often than not.

His major revolution came on the eve of his fifteenth birthday. His father and sisters were out hunting as usual, and his mom had made the drive into town to get the necessary seasonings for the meat they’d surly bring home. With the house to himself, he stretched out on his bed, and scrolled through his typical porn videos. The day before, at lunch, Zayn had talked about watching some porn video where a boy had a threesome with two “fucking hot birds man, you gotta watch this shit. Made me so hard that I came before I could even get a hand around meself.”

Louis watched the video. And then he watched it again. Here he was supposedly watching the hottest video in the universe and he couldn’t even get _fucking_ hard. Three clicks, two minutes into a gay porn video and one finger up his arsehole later, Louis discovered his sexuality. He came harder than he ever had before.

Then he cried himself to sleep.

__

Louis’ second major revelation came later that year, this time his entire family had gone out hunting and he had the house to himself once again. Naturally, his thoughts quickly turned to porn. It was by pure accident he clicked on the “twink in panties” link. But after three minutes of the top whispering sweet things to the twink, about how pretty he looked, how beautiful he was when he made a mess of his pretty panties, and the twink withering in the sheets as the top ate him out through the lace, Louis was gone. He paused the video, snuck into Lottie’s room, stole one of her bright pink thongs and put it on. He must have stood in front of the mirror for ages that night, admiring how perfect the panties framed his hard cock, how full they made his arse look. He came in those panties, that night, he remembers.

He also remembers crying himself to sleep.

\--

So now, four years later, at nineteen, he has a drawer full of pretty panties, all colors and materials hidden away from his family. He wears them under jeans, under boxers, under trakies and especially during sex. And if he’s more of a “froo-froo poof”, as his sisters like to remind him, then a manly hunter, then so be it. Even though he’s hiding who he truly is from his family, it’s all worth it to feel pretty, to feel like himself.

Louis knew his father was sick and knew that his condition was only getting worse. So, it was expected, when his mum pulled the family together and choked out the bad news—the man of the house, the ultimate warrior that was Mark Tomlinson, was dying. Prostate cancer that had spread. 6 months to live. And one dying request- to have the thing he’d always wanted most, a father-son hunting trip with Louis.

The next day, Louis had walked into Horan’s Hunting Store.

\--

“Hey, he’s a jerk Lou, don’t let it get to you. Obviously, you’re gonna be a good hunter. And who even cares if you’re not. You’re giving your father his _dying wish_ that’s enough in itself, doncha think?” Louis can hear Zayn’s frown through the phone. Zayn is used to Louis frequent-freakouts, having been with him all through high school, from the aftermath of his coming out, to his first time at a gay bar. Through the whole thing, Zayn had just sighed and said “fuck them,” whenever Louis worried about someone irrelevant jerk’s opinion.

“I know, it’s just, he’s right. My father should have taught me all this eons ago. Zayn I’ve never even picked up a fucking gun, I’m going to look like a total wanker out there in the woods. I have no fucking clue what to do if a bear or dear or even a fucking squirrel comes up to me.”

“You shoot it, duh.”

“Well obviously but how the fuck do you aim? It’s not like holding you cock and aiming it in someone’s arsehole, you know.”

“Louis, your cock has never been near someone’s arsehole and we both know it. Now get your little bottom-bitch self back over to Horan’s. I know a guy okay, ‘is name’s Liam. He’ll teach you everything you have to know and be a proper gentleman about it. This asshole was probably annoyed that you’ve never picked up a gun but could probably still shoot better than him. Jealous is an ugly monster you know.”

“He was probably jealous of my arse.”

“No one is jealous of that ugly monster.”

“Have you quite finished?” Louis snaps. “I’ll have you know that a lot of people are jealous of its glory.”

“Goodbye, Louis. Go to Horan’s and ask for Liam. I’ll let him know you’re coming.”

\--

For the second time in that many days, Louis was making his way back into Horan’s Hunting Store. The store itself was the nicest one in the area, spacious, and serving up anything and everything in a hunter’s wet dream. Tree stands lined the store, set up so that anyone could climb up and test out their fit. The store had every type of gun or bullet manufactured, as well as all other hunting necessities, like camouflage, canoes, knives... and basically anything else one could possibly need for wilderness survival.

When he walked in, he immediately spots ~~angel~~ asshole boy.

“Hello,” the boy smirks. “You’re back. How can I help you? Please don’t run into Roger again.”

Louis harrumphs. “Roger was in my way.”

“Well, excuse me, I’ll be sure to let him know that next time you arrive, that he should move out of the doorway.”

“You do that,” Louis says. “Look, I’m here to see Liam. He’s supposed to set with up with a gun and stuff.”

“Liam went home sick,” the boy says. “But, hey, I’m Harry, nice to meet you,” he extended his hand toward Louis. “I can help you get set up with what you need.”

“Why,” Louis raises an eyebrow pointedly, “would I let you- who I have been calling asshole boy for the past day and a half in my head- help me out with buying a gun?”

“Because,” Harry smirks. “I can handle a gun really well.”

“So?”

“That’s not the only thing I handle well.”

Louis blushes and wills his pants not to get tight. “I’m Louis,” he offers, and reaches out to shake Harry’s hand.

He lets Harry help him with the gun.

\--

“So, now that you’ve got a gun, when’re you gonna use it?” Harry questions while ringing up all of Louis’ new selected merchandise. “There’s a nice geese migration through the area next week, just a heads up.”

“My dad wants to go into the forest, grab some bigger game.”

“Your fathers a hunter and he never took you out before?” Harry looks shocked. Louis can understand why.

“I never wanted to go before. But, uh, he’s sick now and he wants me to. So,” he shrugs, “here I am.”

“Hey,” Harry says, voice going soft. “I didn’t know. That’s really nice of you, especially if you didn’t have interest before.”

“Yeah well, you know, anyone would’ve,” Louis replies, toeing at the ground.

“If you want to really impress you dad, I can take you out tomorrow and show you how to use all this stuff. You know, that way your dad doesn’t have to worry that you’re going to shoot your foot off or sommit.”

Louis smiles. “Yeah, I’d like that a lot.”

“I get off my shift tomorrow at one, does that work for you?”

Louis grabs his riffle off the counter and points it at Harry. “Sounds right on target, mate.”

\--

“Okay,” Harry says, wrapping his arms around Louis. “You just look down the barrel of the gun, level it with your target...now slowly pull the trigger and...”

BOOM!

Louis practically jumps at the sound, not realizing how loud it would be. Or that the force of the bullet exiting the chamber would cause the gun to shoot backwards and slam into his shoulder. “Motherfucking hell!”

“You’ll get used to it,” Harry whispers in his ear. “You’ll learn how to anticipate how hard it’s gonna shove back at you once you get to know the gun.”

“How can you get to know a gun? Do you take it on a romantic sunset walk on the beach? A candle-lit diner, perhaps? All of the above?”

“You’re not funny, Tommo,” Harry mutters, face still tucked against Louis’ neck. “Really, super, not funny.”

“This is coming from someone who has a tattoo of a butterfly on his chest, so his body can be an everlasting pun. I don’t think you’re the expert on what’s funny.”

“Heeeey,” Harry drawls. “I’m offended. Take that back.”

“Nope,” Louis says, popping the p. “You’re not funny. Sorry, love.”

 “I’ll prove it. I’ll tell you a really funny joke, right here, right now.”

“Okay,” Louis says. “Let’s hear it.”

 “Okay Louis, what is the best way to hunt bear?”

“I don’t know, Harry. What is it?”

“To take your clothes off!” At that, he let out a full body cackle, sufficiently scaring off any animal within a 10 mile radius. The woods were silent and Harry’s sound would travel.

“Ugh,” Louis groaned. “That’s horrible, love. And now you’ve gone and scared off all the animals I was supposed to hunt for no reason. I’m really a manly hunter, you know.”

Harry giggles against him. Louis can feel his chest heaving up and down as the laughter bubbles up and out of him. He tries not to focus on how nice and warm Harry feels pressed up against his back. He tries not to focus on how much larger Harry is, how he towers over Louis whether they’re sitting or standing. He doesn’t want to get hard in the woods with Harry in close proximity. That wouldn’t lead to anything good.

“Hey,” Harry questions, nudging Louis’ neck with his head. “You all right, you went and got all stiff on me?”

Louis blushes, and tries to ignore the double meaning behind Harry’s words. “Yeah, I’m fine. Gonna shoot a goose for you now. Assert my dominance as the better hunter and all that. Now no more talking, I’ve got to concentrate.”

“Okay,” Harry says, face gone serious. He motions up to the sky. “Assert your dominance.”

Harry shoots down three geese, Louis is lucky he manages to hit a squirrel.

\--

After their fourth time hunting together, Harry deems Louis ready to hunt with his father.

“Louis, trust me, if you hunt with him now, you’ll definitely be able to impress him. You’re a fast learner and you’ve hit a ton of small game with me. Your father is an experienced hunter, much more experienced than me. With him by your side, you’ll definitely manage to hit a deer.”

“Do you really think so?” He asks, leaning in over the counter. He can feel his heart is pounding in his chest. He knew this day would come, that eventually he wouldn’t need Harry’s assistance hunting. But after they stop their hunting trips, he’ll have no excuse to see Harry all the time. It scares him, how quickly he’s gotten attached to Harry over these last few weeks. Despite all his innuendos, he’s never told Louis that he was gay, or even bisexual. Between the bandanas wrapped around his head and his preference for the tightest skinny jeans Louis’ had ever seen, Louis has his suspicions. But, Louis had been judged enough times to know that everyone is _not_ what they seem on the outside.

“Trust me Lou,” Harry says, pulling Louis from his thoughts. “I really think so. Go hunting with your dad and then come back in here and tell me all about it.”

\--

Louis tried not to think about how weird this all was, that he was going to hunt with his dad for the first time in 19 years. He’s aware that he should have done it years ago, really. Sucked up his preferences for princesses and pretty panties and manned up to go hunting with his Dad. It all feels forced now, the two of them riding the faded old truck in to the woods, all aware that one of them is dying, but unable to bring it up.

He feels guilty too, especially since a tiny part of him can’t help but wish it were Harry sitting next to him in the drivers seat, tossing his arm against Louis’ headrest. How he and Harry could easily climb into the back of the truck and get it on- no, he thought. He refused to think about Harry when he was fulfilling his fathers dying wish. Besides, it would be horrible to randomly get hard in the woods with his dad. Much worse than if he randomly got hard in the woods with Harry.

“So dad,” he says, turning to his father. “Guess what. I’ve been practicing out here with my mate Harry and I’m gonna shoot us a really great buck today, I can just feel it. Wait until you see what I’ve learned, I’m really go-”

“What,” he father cut him off, voice sharp. “What, did you just say?”

“Um,” Louis says. “That we’re gonna shoot a buck?”

“No, no, before that?”

“That I’ve been practicing?”

“Yes, Louis that. The fact that I’ve been begging to get you into the woods for 19 _fucking_ years, and you go out your first time with one of your mates? That’s really fucking shitty of you. I though I would be the one to teach you all these skills, but apparently you don’t need me. Maybe I’ll go and fucking die right now, is that what you want Louis? Want to get me out of the way so you don’t have to deal with me?”

Louis eyes grew wide in horror. “No dad, I swear. That’s not it at all. I just wanted to impress you and know how to handle myself so you could relax and we could have fun. You know, like, hunting together like father and son. Not like father and some five-year-old that should have learned to shoot a gun 15 years ago.”

“I don’t want your excuses Louis. How long have you been hunting with someone other than me? Completely disregarding the family tradition of passing down hunting techniques from father to son? You know I’ve always tried to support you interests and deal with the fact that you didn’t want to continue with the family tradition. But this is the last straw. It was my fucking dying request Louis. One weekend. One hunt. Just us. And you’ve gone and shot it to shit.”

“But dad-”

“Get out.”

“What?”

“Get out. I’m going hunting. You can walk home.”

“But it’s three miles to town!” Louis screeched. “And it’s almost nightfall.”

“Maybe if you hadn’t disrespected me, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

“But d-”

“Maybe you wouldn’t be so worried if you were _more of a man_ like I wanted you to be instead of some stupid twink.”

At that, Louis storms out of the truck and slams the door closed “Get the FUCK away from me,” he screams, and watches as the taillights of his family’s truck disappear into the distance, the image becoming blurrier and blurrier as the tears fill his eyes.

\--

Two hours later, he stumbles into _Horan’s Hunting Store_.

“Louis!” Harry exclaims. “I thought you were going hunting this weekend? With your dad? It’s a shame you’re not, because it’s great weather right now. I’m sure there is a ton of bucks dancing through the forest.”

“Harry,” Louis says, ignoring Harry’s ridiculous analogy of deer dancing. “Harry.” He repeats, as if it’s the only word he can say, the only thing he can remember.

“Louis,” Harry says, face serious now. “What happened? You have to tell me. You can tell me I’ll fix it, everything is going to be okay. Just tell me.”

“Harry,” he says again, voice cracking. He’s still fucking embarrassed that he ran here of all places, to a boy he’s known less than a month. But he didn’t know what to do. No one, not even Zayn understood how hard he had been working for the past few weeks. It was scary how quickly Harry had become so special to him. “Harry. He, he was so upset that we- that I- went hunting without him the first time. He got so mad, that he called me a twink, he said I wasn’t manly enough…” At that Louis let out a full body sob, shaking as the tears poured down his face. “Harry, I don’t know what to do, I’ve messed everything up. He’s fucking dying and what is- what if- what if I can never make this right?”

“Oh, Louis,” he says, voice gone soft. “I am so, so sorry.” He pulls Louis into his arms, wrapping him up in a tight hug. Louis could practically feel the warmth and the comfort radiating from Harry’s body into his. He slumps against his shoulder, and cries. He doesn’t know how long he stands there in Harry’s arms and cries, doesn’t register if anyone comes in and out of the shop while he’s standing there sobbing. All he can think is _HarryHarryHarry_.

“I can’t go home,” he sniffles, once his sobs have died down. “My mum thinks I’m with my dad, she hates him hunting alone. He’ll be even more pissed off if I go home to her.”

“Then you’ll stay with me,” Harry says decisively. “There’s no reason for you to worry. I’ll take you back to mine and sort you out real good. I’ll bake you a cake or something, wrap you up in some nice warm blankets, and we’ll discuss this. We can work this out. I’m here for you, don’t worry.”

“Thank you,” Louis says, voice still thick with tears. “Thank you so much. You don’t have to do this, you know.”

“But I do,” Harry replies. “You’re my mate, I really like you.” He looks down into Louis’ eyes. “You’re special.”

Louis can tell where this is heading, and his head feels like it’s spinning. So much has happened in the past hours, that he can’t process it. He might be going insane. Or Harry might have just admitted to liking him. Like, _like liking_ him.

“Let me tell Liam that he has to close up the shop. He owes my one anyway, I didn’t tell the boss when I found his girlfriend riding him on one of the tree stands.”

“Oh,” Louis says. He’s not really sure what to say to that. “Okay, then.”

Harry smiles at him, dimples popping. “I’ll be right back,” he says as he disappears between some tents. “Give me five minutes and then we’ll head out.”

\--

Harry keeps a tight grip on Louis waist as he guides him to his car. It’s like Louis is transparent, like Harry can see right through his protective exterior and look inside where all his emotions are churning into one big stew that’s making him feel sick. He feels like he’s made of glass, fragile and protected only by Harry’s arm around his waist. He can’t imagine ever letting Harry go.

“Hey, love,” Harry says, his voice taking on that soft tone he seems to use more often than not around Louis. “This is mine,” he points to a beat up, old, off-white two-seater camaro. It’s possibly the worst car for a hunter that Louis has ever seen. He tells Harry as much.

“Heeeey,” Harry draws out. “I like it. It’s cute and small. I like things that are cute and small.” He gives Louis a pointed look.

“I’m not small,” Louis mutters, so low that he thinks Harry didn’t hear. But when he looks up and sees Harry’s smirk, and his cheeks color.

“My flat is about ten-minutes away, okay babe? We’ll be home soon and then I’ll take care of you.”

\--

Louis wasn’t sure at what point during the short ride he closed his eyes, but the next thing he knew, Harry was gently rubbing his arm, whispering “Louis, wake up.”

“Wha?” Louis said, rubbing his eyes and looking around. It seemed that Harry had brought them to one of the new high-rise complexes on the edge of town. Louis’ specifically remembered his dad complaining about this flat’s and how they “cut into the natural woodland area”. Plus the noise pollution that the construction had caused spooked all the creatures in the surrounding area. He wouldn’t be happy that Louis was hanging around with someone who owned one of these flats. _Fuck what he thinks_ , Louis thought _. He’s a fucking asshole anyway._

“This is my flat complex,” Harry announced, pulling Louis from his thoughts. “I was contemplating carrying you up, but I live on the fifth floor and they’re no elevators in the building.”

“Ugh, Harold,” Louis whines. “Are you telling me I have to walk up five fights of stairs?”

“Um, I could still carry you? You know, if you want?”

“I can manage myself. I’m the manliest man, remember?”

Harry laughs and slaps his arse. “Come on manly man, let’s go on up.”

\--

Five flights of stairs and two slices of cake later, Louis ended up curled next to Harry on his couch.

“So,” he sighs. “Any genius ideas to win back my fathers love and affection?”

“Actually, yes” Harry says. If Louis’ surprised expression fazes him, he doesn’t show it. “I was thinking, is there anything that your father wanted to shoot but couldn’t? I know he’s a great hunter and everything, but everyone has something that they simply can’t catch. For me, it’s an albino squirrel. I’ve never seen one, but I’ve wanted one since I was a boy. It would be a great addition to the store, or my collection here.” He gestures around at the plethora of stuffed animals that covered the walls of his flat.

“Yeah, there is,” Louis says. “The Wood Grouse. It’s endangered though, so you’re not supposed to shoot it. What does that have to do with anything, though?”

“You,” Harry says, pointing straight at Louis. “Are going to catch a him a Wood Grouse. A male, so we can have it with its feathers open and everything. It’ll like prove that even though you hunt with other people, everything you do is in his shadow, and in his name. That when you’re hunting- when you’re in his element, all you are thinking about is him and how to make him happy, how to prove yourself to him. If you can get that Grouse,” he pauses to emphasize his point, “I think you’ll win back your fathers affection quite quickly.”

Louis stares at Harry. “Are you the most perfect person ever?”

Harry shrugs, “only on Fridays.”

“There’s only one problem with this genius plan, my dear Harold. Wood Grouses are _endangered_ as in not-allowed-to-shoot-them as in that’s-why-my-father-doesn’t-have-one.

“I know one of the forest rangers. Harry says. We’ll take him with us. No one can get mad at you if you have a forest ranger with you.”

“Um, I’m pretty sure they can. And getting thrown in jail is just going to piss my father off more.”

“Louis,” Harry whines. “Trust me. With this ranger with us no one will bother us. He’s the head guy. Don’t worry about it.”

“Fine,” Louis says. “But if we both go to jail, you have to be my bitch.”

Harry bites back a laugh. “I don’t think so sweetheart, with an ass like yours we all know who the bottom would be.”

“Did you just admit that you stare at my ass?” Louis says.

“Yeah, after you admitted that you wanted to fuck me.”

“I never said that, I just said you’d be my bitch. I don’t do the fucking.”

“Oh,” Harry says, voice gone tight. “Oh, is- is that so?”

“Yeah,” says Louis, a dirty smirk on his face. “That’s so.”

\--

Harry only has one bedroom, which he insists on giving to Louis.

“Harry no, really,” Louis says. “You’ve done enough for me. I’m fine with the couch. It’s ten times more comfortable than what I was expecting to sleep on this weekend.”

“No,” replies Harry. “You’re a guest, so you should get the bed.”

“Ah, what a polite host I have,” Louis drawls. “You fancy sharing with me than? I’d be up for a good cuddle; I’m emotionally exhausted after this day.”

“Sure,” Harry says. “But the issue is I normally sleep starkers? But I can put on some pants.”

Louis gulps, and pretends that the idea of a sleepy- _naked-_ Harry doesn’t affect him as much as it does.

“Do you wanna borrow some sweats to sleep in?” Harry asks. Apparently he has no problem lending clothes out to his houseguests. Or stripping down to his pants in front of them.  He catches Louis’ stare, “Like what you see?” He giggles. “But seriously though, wanna borrow some sweats? Those heavy jeans can’t be comfortable.”

And that’s when it all comes crashing down on him that _shitfuckwanker,_ he is still in his fucking panties.

And now he has to sleep with Harry next to him in his fucking pink lace panties.

“Actually,” he says quickly. “I’m fine. But right now I’d love a cup of tea?”

And Harry, god bless him, being the world’s most concerned host jumps right on that.

“What can I get you? I have Yorkshire, is that all right? And do you take it with cream or also with sugar? How many sugars? Do you like it warm or hot?”

“Woah,” Louis says. “Harry, you are a fabulous cook. Whatever you make would be fine. But no sugar, I’m not a heathen for christsake.”

This at least gets Harry out of the room for long enough that Louis can at least to attempt to deal with the panties situation. Pantiegate.

By the time Harry came back with his tea, he’s literally thought of nothing.

“Okay!” Harry smiles brightly, completely and blissfully unaware of the inner turmoil that Louis is currently dealing with. “I’ve got your tea! Just milk, no sugar. Do you want those sweats now? Louis, I’ve worn hunting jeans for all of my life and _I still don’t think they’re comfortable._ Please let me give you something to change into?”

“Okay,” Louis says, quickly wondering how he’s going to work himself out of this one now. “Sounds great. Everything will be to big on me anyway, Haz, you’re ten fucking feel tall.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Harry says, brow furrowed adorably in concentration as he burrows through his drawer, obviously looking for the most appropriate sweatpants to give Louis. “Do you want pants too? I have boxers and briefs.”

“Um, no, I’m okay.” Louis said. “Doesn’t matter. Where’s the bathroom? I’m gonna change into the trackies.”

“Why don’t you just change right here, it’s not a big deal?” Harry said.

“No, it’s fine, where’s the bathroom?”

Harry points him in the direction of the bathroom with a confused look on his face. Louis is literally having a mental breakdown. Is it possible to die from an anxiety attack? Louis thinks it is.

He stands in the middle of the bathroom, unsure of what to do. The sweats were too big on him and the possibility of them falling down was real. To suddenly have your pants fall down in the middle of your sort-of-friend-but-you-wish-they-were-more’s flat would be bad enough. But to end up with your trackies around your ankles in a pink thong would be worse.

“Louis,” Harry’s voice comes through the bathroom door. “Are you okay in there?”

“Yeah, be right out,” Louis calls back.

When he exits the bathroom, Harry scoops him up in a giant hug. “I’m so sorry!” He exclaims, still holding Louis close.

“For what? You’ve literally let me invade your home you have nothing to be sorry fo-”

“Shh! Louis, I obviously pushed you in there. If you need to change in another room, that’s fine. I shouldn’t have forced you to do that.”

“No it’s not an issue.”

“Louis. It’s obviously an issue. But just tell me, you- you don’t have a body image problem do you? Because you shouldn’t. You are seriously the most beautiful boy I have ever laid eyes on. You’re just so fucking fit, so I hope you see yourself the way that I see you.”

At those words, Louis surges forward and kisses him.

When his lips met Harry’s, fireworks exploded behind his eyelids. He felt Harry’s grunt of surprise, before he gets with the program and moves his lips with Louis.

“You have no- ah- idea how fucking long I’ve wanted to do this,” Harry mutters against Louis’ lips. “The day you walked through the doors of the shop, it took all my self restraint not to bend you over the counter and fuck you right there.”

Harry’s words run down his spine, hot like fire, pooling low in his groin. “Fuck.”

“Want you so fucking bad, Louis. Tell me you want me too.”

“I do,” Louis gasps, grinding up against Harry’s leg. “Want you too.”

He opens his lips, accepting Harry in. He easily lets Harry control the kiss; he feels himself melt into his embrace. Louis cock was throbbing in his pants, trapped in the tight restrains of his thong. Taking a deep breath, he breaks the kiss, and steps away from Harry.

"What,” Harry pouts. “Why’d you stop?”

Louis looks him straight in the eye. “I ran into the bathroom to change earlier because I am wearing girls knickers.”

Harry just stared at him. Louis took that as a sign to continue. “Right now I’m wearing a pink thong and if you’re going to make fun of me for it than you can go fuck yourself. I’ve fucked around with boys who thought it was disgusting and trashy. I’ve had boys fuck me and dump me for it. I’ve been teased my whole life for liking girly things. So if you hate it just say it now and I’ll be on my way.”

Harry took a step towards him. “What if I wasn’t to make fun of you?” He asks, voice gone impossibly low. “What then?”

Louis’ smile twists into a dirty smirk. He aims his eyes, half-lidded at Harry. “Then I guess instead of fucking yourself you’d get to fuck me.”

Louis can practically see Harry’s cock visibly twitch in his tight pants.

“Can I see?” Harry asks. “Wanna model them for me babe? Wanna show off your pretty panties, and how good you look in them?”

Louis shudders. “Please,” he whimpers.

“In the bedroom baby, where I can see you properly.”

Louis practically tripped over his own feet in an attempt to get to the bedroom as soon as possible. He dragged Harry along behind him, already too far gone to worry about how slutty he might look, how desperate for it he was. Because he was desperate for it, more than he ever had been. He’d been used to quick fucks, with a guy that is more than happy to leave afterwards. He’s ready for something real.

“So hot already baby, can just imagine how good you’re gonna look in those panties for me.”

Louis shudders, nodding. “I’ll show you,” he whispers, feeling so so _small,_ so dainty standing in front of Harry’s looming shadow. He can’t remember ever being this turned on before. He feels like he could come already, and he hasn’t even gotten undressed yet.

With little pretence, he begins to strip. Harry pulls off his shirt and sits on the bed, legs sprawled apart. There’s so much skin on display, and Louis just wants to lick all of it.

He slowly pulls of his shirt, and then drags his trackies down and kicks them in the corner of the room. He stands naked in front of Harry, stripped bare with the exception of his pink thong. He’s sure he looks obscene- his cock is so hard the tip is peaking out of the top of the underwear, head shinny and pink, leaking pre-come on his stomach. He looks up through his eyelashes at Harry, praying that now that Harry’s seen him, he won’t think Louis is disgusting or unnatural.

Harry is silent for a moment, before moaning out, “ _fuck, Louis”._

Louis smirks and does a little twirl, confidence coming back to him. “That’s the idea, babe.”

Harry motions him over, and once he’s within arms-reach, Harry grabs his waist and pulls him, so the two are chest-to-chest.

“Babe, you have no idea how gorgeous you look in those. Christ, I just want to wreck you…I want to do everything to you.”

Louis hides his face in Harry’s neck and whimpers. “You can,” he gasps out. “I want you to. Anything. Everything.”

“Christ,” Harry says. “I wanna suck you, but I don’t want you to take off those pretty little panties yet, princess.”

Louis knows that the minute Harry gets his mouth around him, he’ll be done for. He doesn’t want that to happen, so instead, he drops to his knees and begins to mouth at Harry’s cock through the thin fabric of his pants. His bulge is huge, cock leaking at the tip, and Louis just wants everything, wants his cock so far down his throat that he won’t be able to talk the next day. He licks at the head, tastes the pre-come through the fabric, and Harry curses.

“Louis,” he moans. “You’re going to fucking kill me.”

Louis continues working Harry’s prick, squeezing it through the fabric and mouthing up and down the length. Harry though, was apparently fed up with his teasing, so he pulls Louis’ head off his cock and shoves his pants down.

His cock bobs in front of Louis’ face, thick and red at the tip. Louis’ mouth waters, he wants to suck it so bad.

He starts by giving Harry’s cockhead a chaste kiss, before moving on and licking down the sides of his prick. He gets Harry wet, before swallowing him down.

Harry has an excellent prick, he thinks. He relishes in the heady taste of his cock, the weight of it on his tongue. He traces the prominent vain down the underside of Harry’s cock, and he hears Harry moan openly. He spits out a blurt of precome as thanks, and Louis keeps working his head up and down, moving his hand over the parts he hasn’t yet fit in his mouth. 

He pulls of to lick and the slit, and tongue around the sensitive head of Harry’s prick. He a fat stripe up the spine of Harry’s cock before playing with the tender skin under Harry’s cockhead. He presses his finger against the shaft, hard, basking in the way Harry’s cock violently jerks in his grasp.

“Fuck,” he moans out, as Louis nibbles at his foreskin, stretched tight and pink over his head.

Harry grabs the thin hairs at the nap of his neck with one hand and grips his shoulder with the other.

“Ugh,” Harry groans out, “I’m gonna stop, don’t wanna come yet, love.”

Louis moans around the cock in his mouth, nodding as much as he could. Harry pulls his cock out of Louis’ mouth relishing how obscene he looks, staring intently at the string of saliva that connects his cock to Louis’ swollen lips.

“Come up here, baby,” Harry said, patting his lap. “Let me take care of you. You deserve it Louis, someone to love you and take care of you for who you are.”

Louis nods violently. “Thank you,” he manages to force out, voice thick with emotion. He scrambles to climb on Harry’s lap. He wraps his arms around Harry’s neck, burrowing his head into his shoulder, whimpering.

Harry teases, draws invisible patterns on Louis’ skin with his fingertips, making Louis squirm in his lap, impatient and so, so turned on. He runs his hands over Louis’ nipple, and tweaks them, before moving his hands down Louis’ back, to the waistband of his panties. He slips his hands beneath the lacy fabric, rubbing up and down Louis’ taint, just teasing. Louis whines out. Harry rubs over Louis’ dry hole, the pads of his fingers feeling electric against his most private spot.

“Please, Harry,” he gasps out, open and eager for it. “I want it, please.”

Harry removes his hand from Louis’ body, causing the older boy to whine and slump dejectedly against his body. “Relax baby,” Harry says. “You are the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. I’m going to take care of you, trust me.”

He uncaps the bottle of lube with a _snick_ , and moves his wet hand back down to Louis’ arse. He rubs his wet finger over Louis’ hole, pressing lightly against the tight ring of muscle. Louis breathes heavily, as Harry pushes into Louis’ heat slowly, right up to the knuckle. Harry searches for his prostate, rubbing over it insistently once he finds it. Louis goes absolutely boneless against Harry, back arching, gasping out.

Harry moves his finger in and out of Louis’ tight hole, opening him up on his finger. On the next upstroke, he pushes in a second finger. Louis absolutely keens at that, and as he begins to loosen around Harry’s fingers, he begins to ride them, pushing back down, desperate to get both of Harry’s fingers back over his prostate.

“Please,” he gaps out, fingers clawing at Harry’s back. “Please Harry.”

His pleas seem to spark something within Harry, and he pushes in two more fingers at once, watches eagerly as Louis’ bounces on four fingers, thighs shaking, back arching.

“Talk to me babe,” Harry grunts out. “Tell me how you feel.”

Louis whines nonsensically into Harry’s shoulder, where he’d been biting down to stifle his moans. “Feels so good,” he gasps out. “Fingers- ah- are so big. Fill me up so good.”

Harry chuckles lowly. “Cock gonna fill you up even better, don’t worry sweetheart.”

“Please,” he gasps. “Please, I’m ready for you.”

“Okay, baby.” Harry smiles, “gonna give you what you need. You’re so perfect baby, so beautiful you just deserve everything you want.”

He pulls his fingers out of Louis, the lube making a loud _squish_ sound in the silence of the room.

Harry reaches over for a condom and more lube, rolls it on and slicks up his cock. He manhandles Louis to his back on the bed, pulls his panties to the side and looms over him. He throws Louis’ legs over his shoulders, exposing him in the most intimate way, spreading him open and bare, ready for his cock. Louis whines again, shuddering as he feels the blunt push of Harry’s cockhead against his hole.

His cock twitches violently, hard and flushed against his stomach, as Harry pushes in. Once he’s fully seated, Louis’ arse to his hips, Louis goes absolutely boneless in his lap.

“ _Harry,”_ he gasps out. “So-so fucking huge.”

“You’re so tight sweetheart,” Harry says, voice strained. “So tight and perfect and beautiful around me. So wonderful baby, so so pretty. I’m gonna make you come in your pretty panties, going to make you feel so good.”

Harry wraps his hand around Louis’ cock, feeling the heat of him, throbbing against his palm. It only takes a few strokes overtop of his panties for Louis to hurl over the edge, come splashing over Harry’s fist. Harry strokes him through it, practically milking the orgasm out of Louis. It’s like all his fifteen-year-old wank fantasies had come to live and been reenacted on him

After his orgasm, Louis goes pliant, letting Harry use his body to chase out his own pleasure. Seconds later, Harry is coming too, spilling into the condom as Louis clenches around him.

Harry slips out slowly, kissing Louis’ temple. He washes him off with a flannel, pulling the soiled panties down off his leg before placing them in the hamper. He crawls back in bed next to Louis and kisses him again.

“Louis,” he begins, “that was amazing. You are wonderful. You are beautiful and gorgeous and I will personally beat up anyone who tells you otherwise. I know how to use a gun, you know.”

Louis smiles, his entire face lighting up. “Thanks, H,” he says quietly, blushing into the pillow. He turns and says, “I want to be the little spoon. Cuddle me.”

“As you wish darling,” Harry whispers into his hair. “Anything you wish.”

\--

Louis wakes up the next morning with Harry’s morning wood poking between his arse cheeks.

“Harry,” he whispers, poking the sleeping boy next to him.

Harry responds by rutting against Louis, cock rubbing dry over Louis’ hole. Louis lets out a full body shudder, as Harry rocks his prick between his arse cheeks, so close to fucking him. Louis can feel himself getting harder now, and he just wants Harry to wake up and fuck him already.

“Harry,” he says again. “Harry wake up.”

Harry opens his eyes, and blinks up blearily at Louis. “Wha?”

“Your cock is practically in my arse,” Louis says. “I think you should do something about that.”

Harry grins and grabs him and pulling him down into a kiss, hot, openmouthed and dirty. “Is that so?”

“Yeah,” Louis whispers against his lip, grinding back on Harry’s cock. “That’s so.”

“Best wake-up-call ever,” Harry mutters, before manhandling Louis under him and rutting against him.

Louis would have to agree.

\--

“So,” Harry says during breakfast. “I think we should go out hunting tomorrow morning. Nick always has Monday’s off, so he should be able to go out early with us. We _will_ get that bird Louis, don’t worry.”

“That’d be the first bird you’ve ever pulled,” Louis grins in reply.

“Heeey,” says Harry. “I’ll have you know that I could have pulled as many as I wanted. Except, I wanted to pull cock. And you know, they don’t have that.”

Louis chuckles. “Seriously though, I wasn’t worried. I think we’ll get it. Whether or not we go to jail in the process is the question.”

Harry looks at him seriously. “We won’t. If I thought I was dangerous or unsafe, I wouldn’t let you do it. I really like you, Louis. I’m not trying to get you arrested.”

Louis leans over to give Harry a chaste kiss. “Never said you were darling, besides, if we got arrested, you could be my bitch.”

Harry laughs. “Right, says the one who was begging for a cock up his arse last night.”

Louis pouts. “I didn’t see you complaining about putting it there.”

“Oh, love,” Harry says. “You were the best shag of my life. There, feel better?”

“Hardly, that didn’t sound very sincere.”

Harry goes down on one knee. “Oh Louis. You arse is the most fantastic thing I have ever had the pleasure of putting my cock into. Please never leave me because you are the most fantastic shag of my life.”

Louis laughs, full-bodied and loud. “Perfect, you’re a keeper, babe.”

Harry smiles up at him, eyes sparkling. “It’s a mutual thought love.”

\--

“How am I supposed to go home?” Louis wonders aloud later that night. “My mum is expecting me to come home with great bonding stories, but in reality the most bonding that’s been occurring in the past 48-hours has been between my arse and your cock.”

“It’s not really your fault your father kicked you out of his truck, love. You’re mum can’t exactly get mad at you, can she?”

"It’s not exactly that she’d be mad,” Louis says. “More like disappointed. It’s just, he’s _dying_ Harry. We don’t exactly have all the time in the world to get over this fight and go hunting again. I don’t even know what to say to him!”

“So stay here,” Harry says, rubbing down Louis’ back. “Stay here and shag me some more. We’ll go hunting tomorrow and you can stroll home with the Wood Grouse and impress your father and the whole thing will be forgotten.”

“Thanks babe,” says Louis, leaning in against Harry. “That sounds absolutely perfect.”

\--

Louis hates a lot of things about hunting. But the thing he hates the most has to be getting up at the crack of ungodly-fuck to go out into the woods and stalk animals that do not want to be stalked.

At 3:30 in the morning Harry woke him with a spectacular morning blowjob. Louis thought he could get used to waking up like that. They showered together and dressed. Harry insisted that Louis put on his soiled panties under his camouflage, which almost spurred a round two of their morning activities. But, despite the sexual tension and subsequent blue balls, they were out the door before 4:30.

“We are going to get this bird today. _You_ are going to get this bird today, Louis I can just feel it.” Harry bounced in the seat excitedly, taping his fingers on the searing wheel as they drove. “I told Nick to met me at our usual hunting spot.”

“Which is…?”

“Three miles west of the way the cock crows?”

“Harry your cock won’t be crowing anywhere near my arse again unless you’re serious about this thing. This was your idea!”

“Heey,” he whined. “I am being serious. It’s three miles west of the beginning of the stream. Since it’s so close to water a ton of animals pass by. We can set up our stands there.”

“Did you bring the tandem stand?” Louis questioned. He’s still new to the whole idea of hunting, and shooting in front of a total stranger—even one that was friends with Harry—was nerve wracking.

“Yeah, I grabbed that one so we can hunt together,” Harry said. “Is that okay? I just assumed…” his voice trails off.

“No, yes,” Louis says quickly. “That’s perfect. I just, it’s more fun hunting with you.”

Harry smiles. “I agree.”

\--

Louis did not like Nick Grimshaw. He was a typical cocky-asshole ranger, who thought he knew everything.

“The grouse feeds on strawberries,” Nick was saying. “So I think we should set up near a wild strawberry bush.”

Nick had been going on for the past ten minutes about the habitat and behavioral tendencies of the grousing, trying to, in his words, “educate those without the privilege of wildlife knowledge,” and almost everything he had said in that time period was wrong.

“No they don’t,” Louis said, exasperated. “They feed on blueberries. Not strawberries. You’re wrong,” he says point blank.

“Ah, young Tomlinson has been paying attention,” Nick says. “You are, in fact, correct. I was just testing your knowledge.”

“I thought you were supposed to be enlightening us,” Louis said. “We’re deprived of wildlife knowledge, remember?”

Nick laughed. Louis pouted. And Harry stands between the two of them grimacing.

\--

The three set up camp above a patch of blueberry bushes, just right of an open field. As the grouse typically used open spaces to fly, the area would be idea of the grouse to feed and rest, before flying away again.

“I don’t like him,” Louis whispers to Harry, pointing at Nick, who was stomping obnoxiously through the forest ahead of him. 

“Come on, he’s nice,” Harry says. “I like him. Plus, we won’t get arrested with him here. He’s a ranger and he can talk his way out of anything.”

“I still don’t like him.”

“I like you more than him,” Harry tries, squeezing Louis’ shoulder. “Come on, just focus on me. We’ll be in the tree-stand together, in a totally different tree than him. And this is for your dad. This is gonna make him really happy Lou. I’m really proud of you.”

Louis smiles up at him. “Thanks, H.”

\--

Three hours later Louis is once again struggling not to get hard in the woods with Harry. It seemed that they’d been sitting side by side in the stand _forever_ and not even one grouse had waddled by. It wasn’t his fault that his mind was wandering to other things, like how attractive Harry looked in his camouflage, and whether or not it would be obvious if Harry gave him a hand job in the middle of the woods.

“Harry,” he hisses. “This is ridiculous. We’ve been here for hours and not a single bird has flown by. I think Nick has resorted to looking up porn on his mobile.”

Harry wiggles his eyebrows. “I don’t have to look up porn because I have you sitting right beside me.”

“Hey!” Louis says, giggling. “I don’t know whether to be offended or flattered by that comment.”

"It was a compliment darling,” Harry replies. “Always a compliment when I’m talking to you.”

Louis blushes, face-flushing red. “Well it still makes me uncomfortable that Nick is probably jerking off a mere ten feet from us.”

“He’s not. One time I went camping with him and a few mates and we _all_ thought he was jerking off in a tent but he was actually just snoring.”

Louis looked appalled. “What? Who has snores that sound like moans?”

“Apparently, Nick Grimshaw,” Harry says, shrugging. “I don’t know. It’s strange. But, it’s whatever. Are you complaining about the lack of grouses because you are sick of sitting up here with me?”

"Quite the contrary,” Louis smirks. “I want to get the grouse so we can get down from here and celebrate in the proper fashion. I have a celebratory outfit that I’m sure you’d love.”

Harry shudders visibly, leaning over to nibble on Louis’ earlobe. “You are such a tease.”

“Yep,” he giggles. “Just with you though. I, uh, know you like it so I don’t mind talking about it.”

“What do you mean, babe?” Harry questions, voice filled with concern. “How many people other than me know about it?”

“Um, well,” Louis shifts uncomfortable, eyes searching around for something to look at other than Harry. “Unless you count nameless strangers that live three towns over, you and um, my mum are the only ones.”

Harry’s face goes, soft and he leans over to gather Louis up in a hug, despite their confined space. “Baby, I would never _ever_ judge you for that.”

“My mom knows because I’m a lazy asshole. I used to steal them from my sisters wear them under boxers. But I started to forget to put the boxers in the wash too. And my mum wondered why she was suddenly doing twice the normal amount of girl’s underwear. It didn’t take long for her to piece two and two together. She was understanding though, even thought it was so embarrassing for me,” his face heats up at the memory. “She used to let me borrow her bank card so I could order the ones I wanted offline.”

Harry squeezed him tighter. “If you want three million new pairs of panties, I’ll buy them for you. We can go to the store and pick them out. If anyone gives them shit, I’ll shoot them.”

Louis pokes Harry’s dimple and smiles. “We’ll see.”

“So does this special celebration outfit include purchases you made on your mum’s bank card? Particularly from lingerie stores?”

"First rule of hunting,” Louis says, “is patience. You need to get some, Styles. You’ll find out soon enough.”

\--

“It’s probably because the grouse do feed on strawberries,” Nick shoots an hour later. “I knew I was right. None showed up here because they don’t even eat fucking blueberries.”

“Or none showed up because you keep shouting like an arse,” Louis calls back. “Harry and I aren’t leaving until we get one.”

Nick mutters something about stupid teenagers, and sits back down on his stand.

And that was that. Their wait continued.

\--

It was late afternoon when they heard it. A distinct, “ _caw, caw,”_ coming from the open field on their left. Louis would have recognized it anywhere. The distinct call his father had analyzed over and over again in his study, memorizing in order to pick it out during hunting trips. The call of the Wood Grouse.

“Harry,” he whispers. “Listen.”

They hear it again, “ _caw, caw.”_ Louis wills the bird to come walking into their line of site for the blueberries. The bird is so close; he hears the rustling of the leaves as it waddled through the brush. As long as nothing (like Nick _fucking_ Grimshaw) suddenly spooked it, the bird was a good as Louis’.

He didn’t dare breathe as the grouse walked into the clearing. It was a male, strutting into view proudly, displaying its impressive feathers. Jet-black in color, with red around its eyes and white dusting the tips of its tail feathers, it paraded around their little clearing, seemingly inspecting the blueberry bush they were perched above. It was perfect. Louis had to have it.

He could feel Harry’s smile radiating next to him, as he raised to gun to eye level. He knew he had one shot, if he missed, the grouse would be spooked, fly off immediately out of fright and never return.

With trembling hands, he attempted to position the gun. He squinted down the barrel, aiming squarely between the grouses’ eyes. He took a deep breath and attempted to steady his erratic breathing.

He pulled the trigger.

It only took a split second.

The next thing he knew Harry was screaming, “Yeah Louis!” over and over again at the top of his lungs. Louis stood shell-shocked; looking down at the dead bird slumped beneath him. “You did it!” Harry shouts. “I am so, so proud of you!”

“I did it,” Louis says, so softly, perhaps to himself. “I did it.” He turns to Harry and wraps him in a hug. “We did it!”

“Louis that was an incredible shot,” Harry says excitedly. “I don’t even know if I would have been able to make that. This is just so wonderful,” he practically squeals, clapping his hands. “Let’s go get it. We can stuff it at the shop! Wow this is so great wow!”

Nick, of course, the jackass that he is, pulls them out of their little bubble of happiness by clearing his throat. “Now that you didn’t manage to get arrested,” he smirks, “I’ll be off. Some of us have a real job that requires getting up early in the morning, you know.”

Harry simply waves goodbye, turning all his attention back to Louis. “A male too! Wow! This is so fantastic!”

Louis carries the grouse while Harry trots along beside him, babbling nonsense, voicing his excitement. Louis strokes the lifeless bird, in an attempt to sooth it even in death. This was his least favorite part of hunting, the part he never understood. Why was it so perfect, so enjoyable for men to assert their dominance by shooting harmless, innocent creatures? He sympathized with them, he thought. He would never understand the appeal. But, in that moment he realized for the next few months, in the weeks before his fathers passing, he would have to make an attempt to understand. And with Harry at his side, he didn’t think it would be that hard.

\--

There were a lot of tears when Louis presented the grouse to his father, and not all of them were from his mum (or Harry, for that matter). Louis couldn’t help but go all teary eyed as he explained to his father how much his influence has meant to him over the years and how badly he wishes to impress him. He was full on crying by the time his father wrapped him up in a hug and whispered, “I understand, son” in his ear. Those three words meant more to Louis than any other on the planet (with the exception of the “I love you’s” received from Harry daily). He felt the happiness bubble up inside of him when his father reached over and hugged Harry, welcoming him to the family and thanking him for passing on “some kind of hunting expertise” to Louis.

Everything was finally working out.

Louis didn’t cry himself to sleep anymore.

But soon, the inevitable happened, and his father made his last journey into his beloved forest, this time permanently, and in a coffin. He demanded to be buried in the woods, the one place where he felt most at home.

To Louis, he bequeathed the grouse, his favorite animal piece of game. Louis couldn’t bear to remove it from its rightful place above the fire, sitting next to Lottie’s first kill, a common squirrel. The two animals seemed to glow from their place, a constant reminder of the ever-present legacy of a man who inspired his children on a daily basis. Who encouraged his children to be themselves, and to always follow their heart, whether that path leads them into the woods or not.

Louis’ father also left him a female grizzly bear to, his first big catch and pride and joy. It made a great girlfriend to Roger. Rachel, Harry christened her and placed her in the front of the store, for all costumers to admire.

“He likes her,” Harry says, excitedly the day they move Rachel in. “I knew he would.”

“It’s mutual, we’ve discussed it,” Louis replies.

Two matching bears, in love for the whole world to see. Just like their owners. Louis thought it was appropriate.

\--


End file.
